Sunday, July 3, 2011

7 ideas what to do with your unwanted clothes


I've been very quiet recently and the reason is my recent move out of my old apartment, where I lived for nearly 5 years. When you live somewhere for so long, you pile up clothes, books, CDs, birthday presents and cards, unwanted mail, some old magazines and newspapers, love letters and sacred presents from old loves, loads of cables and non working electronics, and so many other useless things, which fill up our lives and make us dependent possession addicts. As a proud owner of all these useless stuff, you are bound to decide their destiny. I decided to get rid of it all, because I believe that past is past and should be left behind. So here my problems started. Where to throw all these stuff as green as possible and as quick as possible?

It turns out that finding a green, efficient and fast way getting rid of unwanted stuff is quite difficult in Bulgaria. There is no OXFAM shop here, where you can pop up and donate your favourite books and clothes for a good cause. Orphanages are difficult to locate, do not do pick ups and accept only almost new childrens' clothes.

For those in similar situation as mine, I suggest the following ways for getting rid of unwanted clothes:
1. Donation (if possible). You have to note that while donation is the best way to get rid of your clothes, it is not always possible. Usually they do not accept worn out clothes or those with little strain. They also want them washed and ironed, which we not usually have time for. It's important to note, that if they do not do pick-ups and you have to drive there long distance, it may be totally useless.
2. Dispose them in the special bins for clothes, but only if you do not have to drive too far!
3. Leave them in a cartoon box near the container, so that it is picked up from the homeless (or just give to homeless people you know).
4. Burn them! If you have a house and a stove, it may be a good idea to burn these clothes. It's fast and does not leave any rubbish behind.
5. A more creative idea if you have some time is to make a bag or a carpet from different jeans pieces. This is not a very practical suggestion though.
6. Give to friends and relatives as much as you can.
7. Ebay them? While looking for ideas, I found this post on the Internet, which gives ideas on how to make some cash of branded clothes you no longer like or cannot wear! I think this is the best to do, if you have the time, of course.

Good luck!